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What we believe becomes who we are. It reflects in all aspects of our character, behaviour, relationships and the way we live our lives .

God encourages us through His Word to have faith that is filled with action, out of love and reverence for God. And not merely do God talks without any God love in it. He calls it utter nonsense when someone does that

Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

James 2:14-17

One thing that stands out among the biblical heroes mentioned in the Bible is the unshakeable faith they had in their God, their Father AND what they did about their faith in their practical lives. They knew that it was impossible to please God without faith. They had the confidence in what they hoped for and assurance in what they do not see.

In the world’s eyes ,Noah appeared foolish when he started building the ark but Noah believed in what God said and put his faith to action. He was not a people pleaser rather a God pleaser. Noah was not afraid to stand out as he trusted in God’s plan . He built the ark just the way God had instructed him and saved his family

By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God

Hebrews 11:7

Abraham put to action his extraordinary, unwavering belief in God when God told him to travel to an unknown place and God did not tell him where he was going.

Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God. evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God

Hebrews 11:8

Hebrews 11 lists all the biblical heroes that put their faith to action, trusting God one step at a time in their unknown journey. They had complete confidence that even though they have no idea about how their journey will end, they trusted in His promises and had unwavering faith that when God ordains their steps there is nothing to be afraid of or worried about . They looked to God for help and just followed what God had asked them to do. They put their faith to action.

For the reflection part, how does that ‘faith in action’ work for you and me in our practical lives ? Ephesians 5:1-2 encourages us to ‘wake up from our sleep’

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that

Ephesians 5:1-2

We all have mountains in our own private battles that we are struggling with. Of course, we all have been praying for that new job, for that life partner, for that new home , for that new car, for that intimacy with God. Other than praying, are we doing anything about it ? Any ACTION to co-operate with God for His promises to come true in our lives ?

I am a strong believer in prayer and His miracle working power. I also strongly believe that God wants us to use that mustard seed of faith that He has given us , to work along with Him, to co-operate with Him to make His plans establish on this earth for His glory. It’s God that puts that dream , that desire in your heart that you have right now and probably He has confirmed that through a prophecy. It’s time to trust His word and set into action

God has that wonderful job for you. But He needs you to use that God given talents in your interview from your end so He can sprinkle His favour for the best outcome. God will heal you but He needs you to go to the doctor and have your medication. Of course, if God has promised you a certain ministry, you need to equip yourself in that by studying and learning in that area.

My prayer for you today is that May this day be a day of ‘faith filled with action’ for you.

May you find that little mustard seed of faith that God put in your heart and put that faith to action TODAY

Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.”

Matt 17:20

Stay Blessed in Him

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It’s a very common usual thing for us to feel happy when something good happens to us and sad or discouraged when things don’t happen the way we wanted or expected. These feelings of happiness and being sad are triggered by our life circumstances or happenings.

The Bible talks about a joy that is not dependent on any situation or person in our lives, THE JOY OF THE LORD

The Joy of the Lord is your strength – Nehemiah 8:10

Wait , what does that mean ? Let’s explore that a little bit

We can rejoice in the joy of the Lord when we are rooted in His love. We can be partakers of God’s joy when we REALLY KNOW who God is and believe in His sovereignty. The joy of the Lord comes naturally to a Christian who has personal relationship with His God the Father . That’s why we see some people not shaken in the natural realm even when terrible things happen to them. They trust God for their life completely, they hold onto the promises of God in those tough times and go on with their lives with the blessed assurance that Jesus will never leave them or forsake them or fail them

I would just like to share a bit of personal testimony here.Reflecting back, 4 years ago I was dealing with a separation that ended in divorce. Along with the trauma of whatever that happened while I was a Christian, I was also a first time mom to a 3 month old. I had so many questions on why I had to face a divorce when I was still a Christian. I wondered what will happen to me and my child now. My heart was gripped with fear and my mind had a thousand questions to deal with, in addition to my sleep deprivation and exhaustion from having a newborn baby , having to find a place to live and returning to work to make a living for both of us.

I definitely was not happy with my circumstances but the joy of the Lord that I had in me gave me the hope to hang on, the strength to stand up and the courage to move on. I was able to build myself up again in-spite of the numerous challenges I had to deal with of being a single mom. The doctrine became a life experience for me and became my source of strength for my life. I was and am so very grateful that I had God in my life then and now. Else honestly I am not sure where my life would have been. Probably it might have taken a different path.

This lent season we might be expectantly looking to God for answered prayers. We might be crying out to God like David

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?” Psalm 13

He asks God ‘ How long ‘ 4 times in this Psalm. But at the end of the Psalm, He shifts his focus from his sorrow to his trust in the Lord and His salvation

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me” Psalm 13: 5-6

David was tempted to drift towards his sorrow based on his feelings and circumstances. But he was quick enough to re-focus his attention on the Lord , which is his true source of strength. My encouragement for you is to find your joy in Him. When we do that, it’s like a package, along with the joy comes your yearning to spend time with Him, along with that comes His wisdom to handle your mountains and along with that comes the contentment which is a great gain in the Heavenly realm

My prayer for you today is Col 2:7

7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Stay Blessed in Him

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As I begin writing this post, I am reminded of this beautiful good old hymn ‘ Amazing Grace’ by John Newton. I am humbled and overwhelmed even by the very thought that the Lord of the Universe saved a wretch like me, accepted me , loved me unconditionally and adopted me into His family, FREELY. AMAZING GRACE !!!

Amazing Grace

How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now am found

Was blind but now I see

Charles Haddon Spurgeon in his book, All of Grace quotes the below on grace

Grace is the first and last moving cause of salvation; and faith, essential as it is, is only an important part of the machinery which grace employs. We are saved ‘through faith,’ but salvation is ‘by grace’

He adds on to say the below

Jesus did not die for our righteousness, but He died for our sins. He did not come to save us because we were worth saving, but because we were utterly worthless, ruined, and undone. He did not come to earth out of any reason that was in us, but solely and only because of reasons which He took from the depths of His own divine love. In due time He died for those whom He describes not as godly but as ungodly, applying to them as hopeless an adjective as He could have selected.”

Jesus replaced ABIDING LAW with HIS ABOUNDING GRACE. Jesus substituted the animal sacrifice from the law by becoming the ultimate sacrifice , thus defeating death on the Cross, just for you and me and all of mankind.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ

John 1:17

Hebrews 10 talks about the ultimate sacrifice of Christ once for ALL.

GOD’S GRACE alone has the POWER TO SAVE and ABILITY TO TRANSFORM.

First He said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law.9 Then He said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second.10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all

15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ Romans 5 :15

A gift is a waste and has no value until it is accepted by the person that it is given to. God offers His grace freely to us so we can experience an abundant life He has in store for us.

My prayer for you today is that your heart be prepared to accept the grace of God upon your life and into every walks of your life. The divine grace of God has the power to save, to forgive, to restore and rebuild things that seems impossible in human strength.

I pray that you choose the pathway to heaven today.

16 So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need

Stay Blessed in Him

Feel free to share your lent thoughts with me as we do this journey together

PS : There will be no lent devotions on Sunday

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As I reflect on my journey with God so far in my Christian life, few things that stand out for me is God’s faithful love for me, His incredible patience at my ( well, not so often ) childlike tantrums and the amazing strength He provides always whenever I need it

Life experiences teach us some valuable life lessons. So often God has reminded me that My Story is My Own and I can’t live someone else’s story.My story is My Own and someone else can’t live mine. But God is the one that orchestrates all our stories

We often get caught with the ‘game of comparison’ due to which we either elevate ourselves than others or underestimate our lives. The result is either pride or discouragement. Somewhere between these two we need to find a balance to live at peace with each other.

It so happens in Christian prayer life, we always see God’s miracle power at action and rather than taking encouragement from that happening we ask God to do EXACTY the SAME thing for us

Some conversations with God that might ring a bell

‘ God, I have been asking for a child. Can you please bless me EXACTLY like the way you blessed my friend when they prayed ?’

God, I have been praying for a job. Can you please bless me EXACTLY the way you did to that family ?’

‘ God, I have been asking for healing for my sickness. You healed that person. Can you heal me JEXACTLY the way You healed my friend ? ‘

See, the issue here is not asking God to provide or heal. The issue here is asking God to something for your life EXACTLY the way He did in your friend’s life . When we start comparing our lives to someone else’s , we are setting ourselves for the enemy’s trap of ‘envy’ . When we do that we miss out on the BIGGER picture of God’s unique plan for our lives, plan that He intends to bless us and not harm us, just because we lack the trust and patience to take His guided path

God has created each of us unique and for sure each of us have a storyline that is far different to each of us. Don’t try to write someone’s story on your storyline , when you have got your own to write

4-5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Galatians 6:4-5

Stand on God’s promises not on other people’s experiences. You are God’s masterpiece. God created you unique. There is no one like you and no one can be like you.

We are God’s Masterpiece

Ephesians 2: 10

My encouragement to you today is to pray your heart out to God and place all your supplications to Him WITHOUT comparing your life to others. When you have a sense of belonging in God’s kingdom which comes with your constant fellowship with God, you will gradually learn to trust Him and God loves it when His children put that mustard seed of faith to action.

REFLECTION FOR YOU

Read this prayer aloud to Jesus and ask Him for guidance for your life

3. Psalm 119:73-74 You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word.

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In all the hustle and bustle of 2018 new year goals, I decided 2 things for my life this year

Intentionally stay healthy by exercising and keeping fit with the food choices I make

Intentionally study the Word of God and hear from Him more

When I made these new year goals, I was in Cairns on a holiday with my family. I knew in my heart that I had not written a blog in a while but honestly I just did not get anything to write. In the midst of me having a break from the church Sunday school duties, holiday with family and time off from work, I had lost that connection to His gentle whispers and my secret place with God. I just felt too busy resting my usual busy self. It was not a dryness I was experiencing but I was just fading away into my life with my other priorities . I did not realise that until I had an encounter with God in my dream

I love it when God speaks to me in the language I understand and relate to. 2 days back I went to bed asking God to speak to me in my dreams. I kept a notebook ready near my bed and told God ‘I want to be your spokesperson and I am ready for the download ‘. Then went to bed in anticipation. Funny enough, God spoke to me in technical terms and pictures, so apt for a IT technical person like me. I was very impressed with my Jesus, I should say, as always

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May you capture His heartbeat this Chrismas ! His magnificent love is greater than you can ever imagine and deeper than you can ever fathom ! May you catch a glimpse of the magnitude of the magnificent love He has for you.

KNOWING CHRIST is the real deal this Christmas !

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.